Jerusalem

Another highlight of our delegation to Morocco was our excursion to the beautiful port city of Essaouria at the Morocco’s Atlantic coast. We quickly fell in love with the city, not only because of the beauty of its old city, Medina, listed by UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but also due to our encounter with very special and inspiring thought leaders we met in Morocco’s first port city. One of these encounters was with Mr. Andre Azoulay, who is a Moroccan Jewish journalist, economist, politician and advisor to King Mohammed VI. Mr. Azoulay founded the Essaouria Mogador Association working on safeguarding and promoting the human, cultural and historical heritage of Essaouria in Morocco and beyond borders. He hosted our delegation in the Jewish heritage house Bayt Dakira in Essaouria and urged us, Israelis and Palestinians, to study and learn from the long history of tolerance and coexistence between the different population groups in Morocco, among them Jews and Muslims, which was nurtured by the principles of human dignity and mutual respect. Another inspiring encounter was with leading figures of the International Center For Research and Capacity Building, which was founded by a group of professors at the Higher School of Technology in Essaouria. Under the leadership of wonderful Kholoud Kahime, the Center engages in sustainable development projects in the city, conducting research on climate and modern mobility as well as encouraging the local community to contribute to its city’s future development. We already have identified first ideas for cooperation with Kholoud and her center in the realm of mobility and advancement of women in science and are looking forward to follow up. Kholoud, thank you for hosting us in your beautiful city and sharing your knowledge with us!

This weekend, our partner Array had their second "Liberal Parliamentary Advisors" seminar. Like last year, we hosted a group of young aspiring liberals, bent on pushing liberal legislation, and together we learned as much as possible about how to be better & more effective parliamentary advisors. 🤩🤩🤩 Discussing political identity, we learned how critical proper framing is. For example, while the majority of Israel is against religious coercion, they also cherish Jewish tradition. So, being seen as anti-coercion or anti tradition could determine your success. 📊🤓📈 Talking about campaign psychology, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of positive and negative campaigns. Learning that the right campaign requires a deep understanding of the target group's goals, but also their self-perception. 🤔💭🤔💭 We also received tips from the various professional speakers on how to communicate with the press, what are the most effective ways to work with the different ministries - and which techniques are used in the Knesset in the struggles between Coalition and Opposition. 🤝🤝🤝 Finally, we met with the graduates of last year's seminar - and they shared their experience working as advisors in the Knesset, in Government & in local municipalities. #FNFjerusalem #IsraelHofsheet #LiberalKnesset

Have you ever heard about Ait Aourir? Visiting Morocco with our entrepreneurship delegation, we had the pleasure to meet a group of emerging entrepreneurs in the provincial town of Ait Aourir. Located in a rural area thirty kilometers East of Marrakesh, these young pioneers have founded a Business Center and co-working space, which meanwhile has become a hot spot for young professionals determined to impact their community. The beginning was not that easy, recall Kamal Akaya and Anass Mouatik, the agile and charismatic founders of the center. They had to overcome misunderstandings since many town dwellers confused the center for a coffee place. Also they had to win the trust of parents who were first hesitant to let their daughters make use of the space and its services. Kamal, Anass, Med Ali Ifouls you and your colleagues are truly inspiring! Looking forward to continue our exchange and cooperation with you!